


Viridian

by MythGirl02



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Canon Compliant, Found Family, Gen, I swear I know what I'm doing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, mostly - Freeform, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25427749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythGirl02/pseuds/MythGirl02
Summary: A collection of stories about the children of Viridian Forest
Comments: 26
Kudos: 17





	1. Spencer

Yellow quickly grew to appreciate the peace of everyday life after she was freed from her stone prison. Her days were long and relaxing, just as she liked them, even as summer turned to fall. Then again, her friends were always running around this region and others, so it was usually just her, her pokemon, and the occasional visitor.

Not that she was lonely. Her uncle was around a lot, since she technically lived with him, and she saw others from Viridian City at least a couple times a week.

...Okay, it was a bit lonely, but she had her pokemon and the forest, so she didn't mind too much.

She had to talk her uncle into actually going on his fishing trip- it had been two years since that battle in Hoenn occurred, and he was still worrying over her. But she was seventeen, she could handle being alone. She'd been alone in the house at a much younger age before. It made no difference to her.

In fact, she preferred it. Everything that needed to be done- laundry, the dishes- would be done on her own time, which left a lot of time for what she wanted to do: fish in peace, sketch, maybe take a nap. Now that the world wasn't at stake, she could catch up on lost sleep.

With her back flush against a tree, she pulled her hat down over her eyes. This was the same fishing spot she always used, tried and true. Her fishing rod was already set so it would wake her up if she got a bite. Lots of trial and error through the years helped with that, plus some tricks her uncle taught her. ChuChu was a couple feet away, staring into the river cutting through the forest. The others were wandering as they liked to do; she wasn't worried about them. They'd reconvene once it grew dark like they did every night.

She let out a slow breath, relaxing into sleep. And while it was light, she wasn't sure how much time had passed before she felt her hat being lifted away from her face. Her nose scrunched up as she groaned at the light hitting her closed eyes. "Five more minutes, ChuChu."

"Who's ChuChu?"

Yellow's eyes snapped open at the young voice, too young to be anyone she knew. Without her having to move, her hat lifted off her of head completely, her ponytail bunching up between her head and the tree bark. In front of her, holding her hat, was a girl who couldn't have been more than ten, her face littered with freckles. ChuChu must've wandered off; Yellow didn't see her anywhere. "Who are you?" she asked gently.

"Spencer," the girl answered warily. She must've only realized that Yellow was a stranger in a forest and she probably shouldn't talk to strangers in a forest. Something Yellow learned the hard way, even though it turned out fine in the end. Well, if being friends with Blue was "fine." (She joked; Blue was a great friend.) "I thought you were hurt or something."

"Oh, no, I was just napping." She never really considered that it might look like she was passed out instead of sleeping, especially to people who didn't know her. Normally others didn't come into this section of the forest; they didn't usually stray from the path. "My name is Yellow, I live right nearby."

Spencer nodded slowly, offering Yellow her hat back. Yellow took it with a smile, but didn't put it back on yet. "I don't know the way out," Spencer admitted reluctantly, tapping the tip of her toe against a tree root. "I thought I did, but I've never been in this part before. I was following where the trees told me to go."

...The trees. Yellow remembered the trees telling her when the forest was in trouble. Was something happening that she missed? "Can you still hear them?"

Spencer cocked her head and listened intently for a moment before shaking her head. "They stopped when I got here, and then I saw you."

Thoughts clicked together in Yellow's mind. Every seven years, right? Yellow stood, ignoring the fact that Spencer was nearly her height, if not taller. "Tell me, this is going to sound strange, but can you hear the thoughts and memories of pokemon?"

Something in Spencer's face shifted, almost defensive. Yellow knew that well. "The other kids think I'm making it up."

Yellow shook her head, the tiniest of smiles tugging on her lips. "You're not making it up. I can, too. You're like me."

Spencer's eyes widened as she tried to take that in. She looked like she wanted to say more before remembering something. "My mommy and daddy are probably worried. Can you help me get back?"

"Easily." Yellow reeled her fishing rod back in and scribbled a quick note in the margins of her sketchbook in case ChuChu or any of the others came back and found her gone. She plopped her hat on her head, not bothering to tuck her ponytail in it. "So you were just following the trees coming in?"

"Yeah. They were pretty loud about it, too. Couldn't even stop to get any pictures." She took a small disposable camera out of her windbreaker's pocket. "That was why I was at the edge. My parents don't mind as long as I stay where other people can see me."

Which made sense; Yellow had gotten lost in the forest when she was younger too many times to count. She stepped over a root. "Do you think your parents would mind if I talked to them a little when we get you back?"

Spencer shrugged. "Probably not."

Good. Yellow had no idea on how this conversation would go, but if she could, it would be nice to train Spencer to harness her powers. Yellow had seen enough disasters and battles in her life; who knew what Spencer would have to deal with eventually?


	2. Lesson Number One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy getting to know Spencer a little better in this one!

A week after meeting, Spencer sat in front of Yellow, her camera to her side. They were back at the fishing spot, though Yellow's line wasn't cast yet. This was more important. "Okay, first lesson: treat pokemon like a friend." Spencer nodded eagerly, drinking in the information. Yellow smiled at her. "Do you have a partner yet?"

Spencer shook her head, petting ChuChu gently. ChuChu had taken a liking to the girl immediately, curling up in her lap. "I still have a couple of years until I can travel alone. Mom and Dad said fourteen, so I haven't gotten one from Professor Oak."

That made a good bit of sense. If Yellow had been fourteen when she had to confront Lance, the battle likely would've been over much faster. Then again, he would've been twenty-one, so maybe not.

"You're ten, so you can catch a pokemon if your parents are okay with it." She rubbed the top of Ratty's head, who was sitting beside her. "A friend of mine helped me catch Ratty when I was nine. He's been my best friend ever since." She held up her index finger. "But that's also why this is important. Before that, I was lost in the forest without a pokemon, and a lot of the pokemon weren't friendly. They tried to attack me because they didn't know me. Sometimes you'll come across a pokemon who's hurt or scared, and they might try to attack you because of that."

"So I treat them like a friend to gain their trust?" Spencer tugged at her long, loose hair, trying to keep it out of her eyes. "Then I can heal them?"

"Exactly. You and I have the advantage of not needing to directly touch them, too. If a pokemon is wary of you, it might not want to come too close. You can heal it from a short distance." Wow, she'd never sounded so much like a teacher. "Which you've probably noticed before."

Again Spencer nodded. "I always get sleepy after, does that go away?"

It sounded like ChuChu and Ratty were laughing at her. "I'll, uh, let you know when it does." Over the last couple of years, she'd gotten to the point where she could go for a while without needing a nap, but she still needed one nonetheless. "Usually, we can gain the trust of pokemon because we can listen to them. That helps when a pokemon has a problem, like if it can't find its nest." Her thoughts flashed to that farfetch'd she helped years ago, who had lost its nest in a forest of exeggutor.

"I did that before! There was a pidgey near my house and I helped it find its nest in a nearby tree." Spencer smiled at the memory; it was obviously a good one for her. "I'm gonna have a lot of chances to help, I'm gonna be going to more than one region when I'm old enough."

"Where are you thinking?" It was a little embarrassing to admit, but Yellow really hadn't traveled much. Johto was usually the furthest she went, of course apart from that one trip to Hoenn. She preferred to stay closeby.

"Anywhere, really." A dreamy look worked its way into her eyes, reflected in the sunlight. "But I really really wanna go to Sinnoh and Kalos, they seem so cool!"

According to what Yellow had seen and heard about said regions, she agreed. "Are you going to take on the gyms, or do contests?"

Spencer shrugged. "Maybe contests. Not battling. It's not my thing." She took her camera in her hands, fiddling with it a little. "Mostly I just wanna take pictures and see the world and make a lot of friends."

"That sounds awesome! Kanto and Johto are so beautiful, and I know I've met a lot of really good friends while traveling. I'm sure you will, too!" Though that was still four years in the future. Yellow planted her hands behind her in the grass. "Do you want to get photos of the forest, or do you already have enough?"

"Let's go! I haven't gotten any from places not on the trails." ChuChu scurried onto Spencer's shoulder as she stood up. Yellow took a little longer, adjusting her hat on her head so her eyes weren't burned by the sun. Spencer skipped a little, though she kept a firm hold on her camera. "Ooh, there's a nest of spearow up there!" She pointed before taking a picture.

"You're good at this." The nest had taken Yellow a little while to spot the first time. Looks like Spencer already had a knack for finding pokemon habitats. Yellow took Spencer a little further into the woods, to where she liked to sit and relax when she wasn't fishing. It was a nice clearing, surrounded by shrubbery and trees, with a hollowed-out log that was actually quite sturdy despite its age. She took a deep breath in, letting the clean air fill her lungs. This was one of the best feelings in the world.

She sat on the log and watched as Spencer took photo after photo, moving around as silently as she could. It struck Yellow that this might be what having siblings was like. She'd ask Blue or Crys or Daisy about it sometime, especially if she was going to start being more of a mentor. It would be cool to have a younger sibling, even if they weren't technically related.

After about ten minutes had passed, Spencer sat next to Yellow on the log, showing her the pictures. They were really good, clear and in focus. They weren't perfect, obviously, Spencer was ten, but they were still much better than any pictures Yellow had taken in her entire life. "I think I'm ready to go back now," Spencer said once she was done showing Yellow the photos. "It's almost dinnertime, I think. I'm hungry."

"Alright, I'll walk you home." It was easy to return to the trail, even though they were a ways off. That came from years of straying off the path and eventually learning her way back, sometimes taking longer than others. Spencer took a couple more pictures on the way back, nodding to herself once she viewed them on her camera's display. She had her camera just like Yellow had her sketchbook. Both were more interesting ways to keep track of a journey than just a pokedex, though Yellow did wonder if Spencer would eventually obtain one of her own. From what Yellow had heard, more and more kids were able to have a pokedex. Just, hopefully, they wouldn't have to worry about world-ending events.


	3. Sugar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have,,,,a pretty large stack of chapters of this stored up ^^'

Two weeks had already passed since Yellow and Spencer started their training. The day she noticed the spearow following them to the riverside was overcast, likely to rain. The spearow was never around when it was just Yellow; it only followed them when Spencer was with her. She wasn’t sure if Spencer even noticed, but if Yellow was right…

“I think that spearow likes you,” she said one day, subtly pointing up in the nearby tree. There were spearow nests somewhat nearby, but there was no doubt that this one was not from that flock.

“Is that the one we helped before?” Spencer asked, squinting up at it. A few days ago they had come across an injured spearow; Spencer had been the one to heal it. If Yellow thought hard, she would likely remember that the spearow started showing up the day after. “Can you check?”

As though complying, the spearow flew down to a lower branch, just close enough for Yellow to reach if she stretched. When she focused, the memories of that day flooded to her of Spencer’s proud smile when she knew she had healed the spearow, followed by her yawn when the action exhausted her. Two emotions rose: respect and affection. “It’s the same one.” An idea caught in her mind, furthered by the look in the spearow’s eyes. “Your parents said you could catch a pokemon, right?”

The spearow flapped its wings a little as realization took root in Spencer. “You want to come with me?” she asked the spearow, clearly excited. If it weren’t for its beak, Yellow could swear it was smiling. Spencer turned to Yellow. “Can I really?”

“Your parents said it was alright, and I have extra poke balls if you want one.” She dug one out of her bag and handed it to Spencer. She’d been wondering if one of the young girl’s first pokemon would be from the forest like hers was.

Spencer studied the poke ball carefully before making eye contact with the spearow. Keeping a firm grip, she tossed it up. The spearow didn’t flinch once, allowing the poke ball to make contact. It landed back in Spencer’s hands, shaking around a couple of times before clicking decisively. Spencer pressed the button again, letting the spearow out. It felt happily around her before settling on the same low branch it had been sitting on before. Pride gleamed in Spencer’s eyes. “I’m gonna call you Sugar!”

“Sugar the spearow,” Yellow repeated with a nod. “Good name.” Admittedly more creative than her own nicknames, but that was far beside the point. “Now you have a friend who’ll always be by your side!”

“I’m gonna take a picture.” Sugar posed perfectly, causing Spencer to giggle. Already it was easy to tell that they were a good match. Spencer paced around, taking pictures from multiple angles. “Yellow, can you take one of us please?”

“Sure.” She took the small camera from Spencer, making sure both subjects were in focus. It likely wouldn’t be as good as if Spencer had taken it, but it would suffice. “There! Should we show Sugar the way to my house, just so she knows?”

Spencer took her camera back and nodded, leading the way with Sugar flying not far behind. Yellow trailed back a little, making sure to keep them both in her line of sight. With the sky darkening still, it would be best to get home before the rain started.

“What was it like when you and Ratty met, exactly?” Spencer asked somewhere along the way, hopping over a tree branch. “You said your friend helped.”

Yellow hummed under her breath for a moment. “Well, I was in the forest even though I wasn’t supposed to be without an adult. That was back when Team Rocket was still around, and they had released a lot of pokemon into the forest that weren’t supposed to be. My friend saved me from them before they could hurt me, and then he taught me how to catch a pokemon.” That was the first time she and Pika had ever worked together. Time really flew since then. “Ratty and I got along well, just like you and Sugar are.”

“Good.” And of course, a few meters from the house, that was when the rain started. It didn’t start as a sprinkle like most rain did in this area; rather, it started downpouring. Spencer yelped, her hair already starting to stick to her face. Yellow’s hat soaked through easily. “C’mon, we gotta run!”

Spencer backtracked and took Yellow’s hand, running forward while both of them shrieked with laughter. All of Yellow’s pokemon were already waiting for them inside, wisely, save for Omny, who enjoyed the rain. All of them were dry, unlike Yellow, Spencer, and Sugar.

“I’ll grab some towels, stay right there,” she instructed, taking off her wet boots so she wouldn’t track water all over. There were a few extra in the closet, so she grabbed three. “Want some hot chocolate? I think I have a few packs left.”

Spencer brightened, helping to dry Sugar before running a towel over her own hair, mussing it up. “Yes, please! I can help.”

“Perfect.” Yellow finished drying herself off as best as she could, putting the towel down and her hat on top of it. She glanced out the window; still pouring. “I’ll call your parents while the water’s heating up to let them know we got here alright.”

“They won’t worry, they trust you.” A secretive smile crawled onto Spencer’s lips as she crouched at pet ChuChu and Ratty. Kitty landed on her head. “I heard them say so when they thought I was sleeping.”

Sneaky. Yellow laughed to herself, getting out a couple of mugs. “I think they’ll appreciate me letting them know anyway.” She quite enjoyed being trustworthy despite not being an adult yet. She checked her pantry, taking out the box of hot chocolate mix. “Would you rather have milk chocolate or dark chocolate?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact Sugar the spearow is named after one of my friends who guessed how many paper stars were in a picture I sent


	4. Whisperings

There were few things in the world that scared Yellow anymore, thanks to living through multiple apocalyptic events. The list was fairly small, kept to a few fears that were, thankfully, not likely to come true. The list was added to when Spencer arrived at her house one day with Blue.

Okay, maybe she was exaggerating. Blue was a good person, a good friend, and she’d even been a good role model to Yellow. There was nothing to really be afraid of, she would trust Blue with watching Spencer. Whatever fear she felt was…

Well. There were no apocalyptic events occurring now that Yellow was privy to. She didn’t have to worry about Spencer being dragged off to stop one.

“Sugar and I are gonna say hi to everyone,” Spencer said, already heading around the side of the house to the back. She let Sugar out partway there so they could find whichever ones of Yellow’s pokemon stayed behind.

Leaving Blue.

“Cute kid you’ve got there,” she said jokingly, opening her arms for a hug. Blue gave very good hugs, snug and warm and perfect, second only to Green’s. She rested her chin on top of Yellow’s head. “You didn’t tell me you found another Viridian kid.”

Yellow shrugged, waiting a moment before moving out of the hug to let Blue inside. “I never know when you and the boys are busy. Speaking of, I thought you were with your parents?”

It was Blue’s turn to shrug, the two of them sitting down in the kitchen. From there they would have a good view of the back of the house. “I’m an adult now, I can go where I want and when.” Which was code for wanderlust. “So I thought I’d drop by.”

“I’m always glad to have you.” Yellow peeked out the back; Spencer and Sugar were busy taking photos of Kitty and ChuChu, who were diligently posing. They looked wonderful against the changing leaves of the trees and foliage.

“She looks a bit like you, you know.” Blue laughed at Yellow’s expression, surprised and a bit intrigued. “I know you’re not actually related, but if your hair and eyes were darker or hers were lighter, you could be her sister.”

Yellow studied Spencer from a distance. Between Spencer’s dark brown hair and the fact that she would obviously grow taller than Yellow, she couldn’t see the resemblance. The only feature they seemed to share was their abundance of freckles, though Yellow’s were marred far more than Spencer’s. That was one of the side effects of slightly sped-up healing: scars for each healed injury. Yellow had learned not to mind, though she still kept hers covered.

“She’s a lot of fun, very smart.” A smile took root in her voice. She never really had someone to feel this sort of pride over like she already did with Spencer. “I’m glad I can teach her about her powers.”

Blue winked at her with a tiny smile. “I’m sure you’re great at it. You had a great teacher, after all.” She quieted again, her smile slipping. “Actually, I did come here with a purpose.”

The way she said it put every nerve in Yellow on edge. Seeing Blue this serious about something meant it was likely something to worry about. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing bad.” For all the times Blue had convinced Yellow of things, this time was not at all convincing. “I’m just wondering if there’s been any...activity in the forest.”

Yellow frowned, keeping an eye on Spencer, now running around with ChuChu as they chased Kitty and Sugar. “What do you mean?”

Blue blew out a breath, twisting some of her hair between her fingers. Yellow knew that she always did that when she was about to say something that someone isn’t going to like. And since Yellow was the only one there, she was the one who wouldn’t like it. “I’m talking about activity of the Team Rocket kind.”

That was probably the last thing Yellow was expecting to hear. She didn’t have to think before delivering her answer. “No, not since Sird and the others two years ago.”

“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way.” Blue cupped her chin in her hand, her elbow resting on the table. “Oak doesn’t know I know, of course, but I know he’s heard whisperings of Team Rocket activity in Johto.” She drummed the fingers on her opposite hand on the table. “If this keeps up, I have some items to pass on… But regardless, I wanted to make sure you kept an eye out. I know Viridian Forest used to be a hot spot for Rocket activity.”

Not for the first time, Yellow wished she knew why that was. She never got around to asking anyone from Team Rocket why they liked to abandon experimented pokemon in the forest, then proceed to try to destroy the forest. Just thinking about it made her mad again, her brows knitting together.

“Rest assured, if I find any sort of Team Rocket member in my forest, they will not be leaving without a scratch.” Not when her job was to protect it. Not when she now had another girl to teach about it and protect.

“That’s my girl,” Blue said, as though Yellow were more than two years younger than her. Her tone was still solemn, contrasting her smile as Spencer waved at them. She let her hand fall to her side after waving back. “Let’s go play with your student, I swear just talking to her on the way here made me feel so much younger.”

Yellow laughed, already standing. Her hand flicked out to grab her hat, but she didn’t need it. “You know, nineteen really isn’t that old. You’re not even a decade older than Spencer is.”

Blue waved a hand in the air, her smile now genuine. That was the kind of smile Yellow liked to see on her friends. “Potato, potahto. You know what I mean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to start doing biweekly updates, see how that goes for a while!


	5. Everyone Loves Cheesy Movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know I said I was gonna post 2 chapters a month but I'm probably gonna go back to once-monthly so I can procrastinate :^)
> 
> Have a great Halloween...even though this chapter is winter-themed XD

Winter came quickly, chilling Yellow to the bone. The snow started in mid-October, only growing heavier as winter progressed. Yellow could handle hot weather with practiced ease, but cold weather? No thank you.

With the snow covering the ground, she was outside less, and she saw Spencer less. It was a pain for anyone to get to her house with the snow and ice, causing Yellow to become more of a hermit than she already was.

“This is nice,” Spencer said, curling into her blanket. Of course one of the only times she’d come over that December was when the three of them were snowed in. Being snowed in was odd for that area, but at least everyone in the house was safe. Yellow had made sure to call Spencer’s parents so they wouldn’t worry while her uncle got out extra blankets and put on a cheesy feel-good movie. Sugar snuggled closer, both giving warmth to and receiving warmth from Spencer. “Is it gonna clear up before bedtime?”

“Probably not, kiddo,” Wilton said, glancing out the window. They wouldn’t be stuck if either of them had a pokemon that could use fire moves, but Yellow tended to stay a good amount away from fire-types. Especially one who had open flames or lava bodies; they always reminded her of how much she never wanted to go near volcanoes ever again. “But we have plenty of room here for you.”

Spencer shifted her attention from the movie to him. “But I didn’t bring pajamas.”

Yellow nudged her gently, stirring ChuChu enough for the pikachu to move over to Wilton’s lap instead. “You can borrow some of mine, they’re nice and comfy.” She was already in some, actually; the long sleeves covered most of her hands, just how she liked them. “C’mon.”

She took Spencer to her bedroom, handing her pajamas for her to change into in the bathroom. “These are comfy,” Spencer said upon emerging in them. She was slightly less swamped by them than Yellow was. That was kind of sad, given their age difference. “Why are they so big?”

“The shirts are from one of my friends. He gives them to me when he grows out of them. The pants are mine, I just thought they were fluffy.” Speaking of, maybe she should call Red later. Just to make sure he was doing okay with the change in weather; even though he denied it, she knew his wrists and ankles still locked up. She sighed to herself. Chances were he was attempting to train in this weather.

“You talk about your friends a lot,” Spencer pointed out as they returned to the living room. ChuChu and Ratty didn’t bat an eye when the two of them sat back down. “Can I meet them?”

Disregarding busy schedules, she didn’t see why not. “You’ve already met Blue, but I’m sure my other friends would love to meet you sometime soon.” She glanced out the window; snow was still falling steadily as far as she could see. “Probably when the weather is better.”

Spencer nodded, wrapping the blanket tightly around her. Sugar then poked her head out of a small space with a happy noise. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Wilton burst out laughing at the abrupt question, though Yellow’s cheeks seared pink. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” she managed after throwing a pillow at Wilton to get him to stop laughing.

“Girlfriend?”

“No. I’m not really interested in dating.” That realization hadn’t been an easy one, but it was true. Even though she’d had crushes, she was perfectly fine without a boyfriend or girlfriend. Just like her uncle; he hadn’t dated in years simply because he didn’t want to. “Why all the questions?”

Spencer shrugged, patting Sugar’s head. “Just wondering. My cousin has a girlfriend so I was wondering if you did. And we’re Forest Sisters, right? So I thought I should get to know you more.”

Forest Sisters… That title made her heart squeeze with joy. Naturally she hadn’t gotten along with Lance, or Giovanni (if he truly was from Viridian Forest, she still wasn’t quite sure), but Spencer was a completely different story. And, truthfully, she was honored to be her Forest Sister. “You can ask me whatever you want.”

“Good.” Though she didn’t follow up with anything. Yellow settled into the couch a little more, fixing her attention on the movie. She wasn’t sure she’d seen this one before, though Wilton did love a good feel-good movie, so they were on all the time in the evenings. 

That was probably one of the first times Yellow felt like the three of them were one big family, despite none of them being related. It was just so calm, so sweet. And, really, this was the biggest her family had ever been, to her memory. “I’m going to make some hot chocolate for us,” Wilton said, rising during a commercial break. ChuChu quickly adjusted, going to curl up by the fire place with Ratty and Dody. Kitty, Gravvy, and Omny were around the house somewhere. “How many marshmallows would you like, girls?”

“Two please!” Yellow and Spencer chorused, laughing once they realized they answered at the same time. It fared pretty well that they were in sync with each other. 

Wilton returned a couple of minutes later with the hot chocolate, just in time for the commercials to end and the movie to resume. Spencer blew on hers before sipping, the marshmallows bobbing up and down. Yellow poked at hers, turning them so they were completely covered in the hot chocolate. It was an odd habit, but she’d always done it. The mug warmed her hands, steady and careful as to not spill the drink when she laughed at the movie.

All in all, it was just...perfect. Almost too perfect, Yellow couldn’t help but think. Since Blue’s warning, she’d been on edge, but nothing was going to happen. Viridian Forest was safe, she was safe, Wilton and Spencer were safe.


	6. Adulthood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

By the time late winter rolled around, it was clear to see that Spencer’s powers were growing strong. At least, stronger than they were; she had much better control over them than Yellow had been at that age. Then she quickly remembered that it was at that age she had to save the world, so she put that thought aside.

No, mostly Spencer and Wilton were excited for early March, more than Yellow was. Naturally Wilton had informed Spencer of Yellow’s birthday, as much as Yellow would’ve liked to ignore it and move on. She’d never done much to celebrate before; most years she and Wilton just went on fishing trips together.

Really, she was walking on eggshells, hoping that the two of them weren’t planning anything big. She spent her morning talking to Emerald on the phone; he was an early bird and fairly busy, she was surprised he found the time to call at all, though she greatly appreciated it. She loved talking to him when she could.

All things considered, by the time her call with Emerald finished, her day was great. There wasn’t anything too exciting, she didn’t have much work to do, and the ground was still hard enough for her to go out to the forest for a while without getting mud all over her favorite boots.

She stayed on the path this time around so she wouldn’t take forever to get back home if Wilton called her. Even just that gave her a wide scope of what was happening in the forest, since the path wasn’t used by many other than her, Spencer, and the occasional trainer who was stupid enough to travel in the winter. More pokemon tended to come near the path with less people.

About halfway down the path, she heard hurried footsteps approaching. “Happy birthday!” Spencer called to her, running after her. “Uncle Wilton said you were out here so I wanted to tell you myself!”

She nearly crashed into Yellow with a hug, one of the really great ones that can only be accomplished by someone around the same height. “Thanks, Spencer!” she laughed, hugging her tight. Sugar landed on top of Yellow’s hat, sitting down once she found a comfortable spot. Thankfully Yellow had experience balancing weights like Sugar’s thanks to Kitty and ChuChu. “Want to go back? I think Uncle Wilton bought cake mix, we can make it together.”

Spencer pondered that. “Let’s stay out longer, it’s nice.” Nice meaning not as cold as the rest of winter had been, not quite warm enough for spring. Apparently that didn’t stop Spencer from wearing shorts; she was the exact opposite of Yellow in that regard. Even through the winter, though, her freckles stayed prominent, just like Yellow’s. Yellow always considered her freckles her best feature.

She took in another lungful of the chilled air. That was one of the redeeming qualities of this weather; it felt just cold enough that it cleansed her system. Still, she could feel something in the air, an anticipation of sorts. She managed to sneak another look at Spencer before she noticed something was definitely off.

“You planned something, didn’t you.” That she could tell with more or less complete accuracy, especially once a sheepish look crossed Spencer’s face. “Okay, how long are we stalling for?”

“Only a few more minutes,” Spencer relented after a second of thought. “It’s nothing bad, I promise! You’re not mad, are you?”

She blinked. “Not at all! Definitely surprised, but not mad.” It wasn’t a bad thing that there would be something going on when she got back. “If we turn back now, will that be enough time?”

“Probably.” Spencer pushed her shoulders back, stretching. When she did that, she was definitely taller than Yellow. Maybe she should’ve asked for an extra few inches for her birthday. “I think you’re gonna like it!”

Wilton and Spencer both knew her well, so she didn’t doubt it. They would never do something like a huge party that she didn’t like. The thought of having something to return to, though, made her stomach flutter. That was a feeling she hadn’t had in a while, at least not in a good way like this.

Spencer ran ahead a little, checking inside to make sure everything was ready before motioning for Yellow to follow. “Be sure to act surprised, they don’t know I gave it away,” Spencer whispered quickly before they stepped inside.

Yellow didn’t really need to act; she really was surprised that Spencer and Wilton managed to get some of her closest friends there. Red, Green, Blue, Daisy, and Bill smiled at her from the couch and chairs in the living room. “Happy birthday!” they chorused with Wilton and Spencer. Maybe it was bad of her, but she hadn’t thought they would be around, close enough to drop in, especially not Daisy and Bill with how busy they usually were.

She felt the widest grin split her cheeks at the sight of all of them. This felt very much like her family. She grew up with these people. They were hers, and they were here to see her become an adult. Even with what she’d heard happening in Johto, they found time for her.

“Thank you all so much,” she said, moving to hug them all. Even Green, usually not one to show affection of any sort, let her hug him. She barely came up to his chest. “I’m so glad to see all of you.”

“You can thank Spencer,” Daisy said, hugging her tightly. When Yellow looked, Spencer was blushing bashfully. “It was her idea.”

“Not that we wouldn’t have come otherwise, she just invited us first,” Blue added with a wink in Spencer’s direction. “Great minds think alike, sweetie.”

Spencer truly had a good heart, not that Yellow ever doubted it for a minute. “Cake should be ready in a few minutes,” Wilton reported, coming from the kitchen and taking a seat. “Until then, let’s catch up.”


	7. Quiet Moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one of the year, hope you enjoy!

When spring began blooming into summer, Yellow was overjoyed. The weather was so much better, and since the news broke about Team Rocket being defeated for good in Johto, she no longer had to keep an eye out for any Rocket activity. There was no more threat to the forest and her family.

“Tag! You’re it!”

So instead, she busied herself with Spencer, who was apparently still growing as adolescents do and was now just a touch taller than Yellow. Her powers were coming along well, about where Yellow’s were at the time, if a tiny bit weaker. Still, progress had been made, so it was okay to goof around and have some fun every now and then. Specifically, playing tag in the forest and running from each other.

And, gosh, Spencer was fast. Yellow was trying her hardest but could barely keep up with her, let alone catch her. The only way she tagged Spencer back was when Kitty gave her an impromptu lift, surprising Spencer from above.

“What? No fair!” Spencer complained, though she kept playing, chasing Yellow further into the forest. “Kitty shouldn’t be allowed to help you like that!”

“Like you need the help? You’re doing just fine on your own!” She dodged between a couple of trees, careful branches didn’t smack her in the face. She’d made that mistake before. “Besides, if Sugar ever evolves, she’ll be able to support your weight and you’ll have the same advantage.” She ducked down behind a bush, trying to throw Spencer off her scent. Once she was pretty sure Spencer wasn’t right there, she stood, only to be tackled to the ground in a pile of limbs.

“I win,” Spencer declared happily, pushing herself off of Yellow and laying on the cool ground. Yellow did the same, breathless from the chase. The mottled shade worked wonders for her now. “You said there’s a new Viridian kid every seven years, right?”

“That’s right.”

Spencer hummed softly as Sugar landed and sat on her stomach. “So there’s another kid younger than me out there somewhere.”

To be honest, that had only crossed Yellow’s mind a handful of times. “Yeah, probably. They’re only, what, three? We should wait a couple more years. I didn’t start noticing my gift until I was four or five.”

She heard rustling, probably Spencer nodding. “I hope it’s a boy,” she said after a second. “Having a little brother would be cool.”

“It would be.” She made a mental note to keep her eyes and ears peeled for any talk of another Viridian kid. Thanks to her and Spencer, most of the city knew what to look for. The next one may be young, but they may not be brought right to her the way Spencer was. After all, she had thought she was the only one until Blue told her about Lance. Spencer thought the same until they met.

She crossed her arms loosely so her hands rested on her stomach. “You know, when we do find them, you might be able to help me train them. You’ll probably be more or less done training by then.”

Spencer nodded again, then paused. “Will being done mean that I won’t be coming over as often?”

“Of course not. You can come over as often as you’d like.”

“Good, ’cause I like it here.” There was a hint of stubborn defiance in her voice, challenging the powers that be to just _try_ to keep her away. Yellow loved that for her.

She turned her head towards Spencer, watching the young girl tug at various strands of her har, blown into her face by the quiet breeze. “Do you want a hair tie? I have an extra.”

“Please.” Yellow handed it to her, and instantly Spencer sat up just enough to scrape her hair into a messy ponytail before laying back down. “Much better.”

That right there was one of the reasons Yellow almost always kept hers pulled back. It was so much easier to deal with that way. She filled her lungs, then blew out all of the air, feeling her muscles relax into the ground.

“What about when I go on my journey?” Spencer wondered softly. “Will you be lonely then? ’Cause I won’t go for a long time if you’re gonna be lonely.”

“That’s nice of you.” She thought about it; would she be? She’d become accustomed to having someone else around, especially when her uncle was on a fishing trip. Would she miss having another person around to talk to? “I think I might be. But I’ll be even more excited for you to see the world. Then, when you get back, you’ll be able to tell me all about it. Same with your parents; they’ll be waiting eagerly to hear everything about your journey.”

Spencer was quiet for another moment, shifting just a touch closer. On her stomach, Sugar readjusted her position to keep her balance and comfort steady. “Will I be lonely? When I’m somewhere else?”

“You’re great at making friends, and you’ll have Sugar. I’m sure even if you start out on your own, you’ll find someone you’ll want to travel with.” Yellow turned her head, smiling reassuringly. “You still have a couple more years until then. I wouldn’t worry about it now, okay?”

“Okay.” Spencer took in what Yellow could tell was a practiced breath before smiling softly. “We’re gonna bring home so many pictures you’re not going to know what to do with us.”

“I’m looking forward to it already.” If she was never going to get around to seeing the world herself, seeing it through Spencer’s eyes was something she coveted. But, like she’d said, that was still years in the future. A lot could change in a few years, as she knew firsthand. It would be best to take them one day at a time, but she was more excited for Spencer’s future than anything. She would always keep that as her primary emotion on the matter.


	8. Kids Ask Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of the new year! Hope you enjoy!

For the most part, Yellow was used to quiet days of fishing. She hadn’t gone too often with Spencer, but the atmosphere always left her drowsy, wanting to take a nap. The peaceful serenity was amazing…

“How do you know so much about our gift?”

Yellow yawned, trying to stay awake as she considered the question carefully. Usually she’d already be sleeping if she were here alone, so this was progress. “Trial and error, at first. When I was your age-”

“That was a long time ago.” Spencer grinned as Yellow rolled her eyes, hiding a smile. “Sorry, sorry.”

“Anyway. When I was your age, I knew nothing about how or why I had the gift. Until I met someone else, I didn’t even know anyone else had the gift.”

Spencer stretched out, pressing her bare feet against a rock with her eyes still glued to her fishing pole. “Who was it? Can I meet them?”

Yellow tried hard to keep facing the river, concentrating on the ripples in the water. “He’s someone I hope you never have meet.” One of her arms wrapped around her midsection; there, there were the scars that manifested from her broken ribs. On her right arm, there was one from the fracture she sustained during the final battle. There were plenty more smaller ones, both from him and from Pryce and Sird and Guile, but those were the largest. They reminded her more, especially when she didn’t want to remember.

“Then how do you know so much about the gift?” Spencer asked again upon realizing she never received an answer.

“You remember Daisy?” Spencer nodded; they’d met on a few occasions. “She and Professor Oak had some really old records on the Viridian gift. Once we both had some free time, she showed them to me, and started to help me strengthen my gift.” Yellow shrugged; there wasn’t that much more to it. “It was a bit like a science experiment on both of our ends, but it worked. Now I know what I’m capable of and how I can fully use the gift.”

Spencer nodded thoughtfully, concentrating hard as though wishing for a pokemon to take the bait she’d cast out. Sugar chirped in encouragement from the trees behind them. “Did the records say anything else?”

That required a bit of thought; it had been a while, a couple of years at least, since Yellow had seen them. “Mostly it was just the basics: one child born every seven years, a short analysis of the gift- Daisy and I actually added on to that section, since I have limited telekinesis, and that hadn’t been documented before. Neither had the level boosting.”

“Only one child? What about if they’re born twins?”

Yellow blinked. She...wow, she’d never thought of that. “It should only be one of them… But if they’re identical, then maybe they both have the gift? Maybe it’s somewhat genetic?”

“Maybe one has healing and the other senses thoughts. Or they can only use the gift at the same time on the same pokemon. Or-” Spencer cut herself off with a gasp. “What if they’re triplets? Does one not have the gift?”

“Maybe it’d still be split up, since the telekinesis…”

“Okay, what about if there’s four kids?”

Wow, Yellow’s brain was starting to hurt. “I guess there’s still level-boosting…”

“Five kids?”

Yellow rolled her neck, wincing when it cracked. “I feel really, really bad for anyone who has Viridian gifted quintuplets.”

A sentiment which sent Spencer into laughter. “Me, too. My parents always say I’m a handful. Imagine five of me!” She laughed some more, shifting her position so her feet cooled off in the water. “D’ya think you’ll ever be a mom?” she wondered after another minute passed.

What was with all the questions today? “I never really thought about it.” After...well, everything, she was very hesitant to think too far into the future about anything. Though she was getting better about that. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to see.”

Spencer nodded solemnly. “For what it’s worth, I think you’d be a great mom.”

Which made Yellow smile, though she pulled her hat a little further forward, telling herself it was just so she wouldn’t get sunburned. Okay, yeah, she was the nurturing type, but she was nowhere near the “mom friend.” Actually, surprisingly, that was Green. It was like… She’d thought about having kids before, or adopting, but it never seemed like a reality? Almost? It was weird, and she was probably just being weird about it. Honestly, she would probably be better off just having a bunch of little siblings like Spencer, and probably whoever the next Viridian kid was. Being a sister was something she knew how to do now, so she knew she wouldn’t mess it up.

But… Those were thoughts for way in the future, anyway. She was only eighteen, she didn’t have an interest in dating anyone at the moment, so all of that was so far off she shouldn’t be worrying about it. Right now, all she had to worry about was making dinner later, catching fish now, and making sure Spencer got home all right later. Actually, she felt a little guilty for mentoring Spencer so often, taking her away from her other friends and her parents. Her parents hadn’t said anything about it, though, and Spencer did seem like she was enjoying herself…

Okay. Maybe it was okay to push that from her mind for now. This was fishing; it was meant to be lighthearted. Once more, she concentrated on the surface of the water, the ripples that spread out from the fishing lines. It was actually pretty surprising that neither of them had caught anything yet. It was probably just a slow day, that or they were being too loud. No matter; neither of them kept anything they caught, anyway. For the time being, it was nice just to be outside before it got too dark out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation about twins and triplets is based off of a conversation I had with a friend in discord a few months ago, haha


	9. Why Are There So Many Mysterious Redheads?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special guest character this chapter :D

Despite not spending a long time in the hub of Viridian City, Yellow had a pretty good idea of what went on. She heard a lot on the outskirts, and even more when she went to get groceries. Naturally she became a bit suspicious when she heard talk about a mysterious redhead poking around. She only knew three redheads, and she knew it couldn’t be Misty; not only was she busy with the gym, but just about everyone in Viridian City would recognize her. That narrowed it down to two options, one much more pleasant than the other.

Thankfully, the universe decided to be kind to her for the time being.

“Silver!” she called with as much of a wave as she could with her hands full of her groceries. He turned, obviously not expecting to see her, though he stopped for her to catch up with him. He had to be at least a foot taller than her now. Just about everyone she knew was. “Hey, what brings you back here?”

He shrugged, which she supposed carried a lot of different answers. From the few times she’d really, really talked to him, she’d picked up that he wasn’t much of a talker. “Do you need help?” he asked instead, gesturing to her bags.

“That’d actually be great, thanks.” She handed two off to him, leaving three for herself. “How’s everything in Johto?”

“Calmer, now. It’s better off that way.” A region was always calmer when it didn’t have to worry about dealing with a world-ending event. She hadn’t heard too much about what happened, and she could tell that Silver probably didn’t want to talk about it so soon. That was fine. “Blue told me you found a kid?”

Yellow shifted her grip a bit, hiding a smile at the wording. She wouldn’t put it past Blue to word it exactly like that to Silver to begin with. It sounded just like her. “It’s more like she found me, but yeah! I’m sort of showing her the ropes with her gift, she’s a great learner.”

Silver nodded once, but stayed quiet for a moment. Then: “Lance was there.”

She nearly dropped her groceries. “What now?”

“At Sinjoh Ruins. He was there.”

And here Yellow thought she’d never have to worry about seeing him again. Well, she had been worried, but now she had an actual reason to. “I see.”

“Gold told me a story. One of the Team Rocket executives tricked Lance by catching him off-guard. You know how the executive did that?” She shook her head, confused. She had no clue where this was going. Silver smirked. “He disguised himself as you. Apparently you’re the person who could most intimidate him.”

This time, she actually stopped in her tracks. “That’s- wait, me as in me now or me as in eleven-year-old me who left him to drown in lava?”

Silver stopped as well, looking back at her in bewilderment. “You did what?”

“You didn’t know?” She could’ve sworn that word would’ve gotten around the dexholder group. If any of the dexholders outside the region knew, it would be Silver, especially because she thought Blue had told her once that Silver trained under Lance. Something akin to pride played in her chest as they started walking again. That really wasn’t anything to be proud of. “That was...yeah. Um, how are Gold and Crys?”

“Good. Busy.” He cast another glance at her as they started moving again. “Should I be worried about you leaving me to drown in lava?”

“No.” She rolled her eyes, but she smiled a little. Actually, she hadn’t heard that joke before. It was kind of refreshing, in a way. “Nor do I plan to. That was out of necessity and I don’t plan on ever repeating it.”

He could probably sense something in her tone that told him she didn’t want to talk more about it (which was true), since he dropped it. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence before they stopped in front of her house. “Do you want to stay for lunch? It’s just me today, Spencer is with her parents and Uncle Wilton is on a fishing trip.”

He considered it before nodding and following her inside. ChuChu greeted them inside, nuzzling up against Silver for a second. He’d only been to her house a couple of times- she never turned away a visitor, especially not a dexholder. Silver was more or less like a brother to her, but less so than he was to Blue. She liked having the company; even though she wasn’t often alone in the house, it was nice to have someone to talk to and just someone’s presence there. Which probably sounded odd, but she’d always felt that way.

“Do you think we’ve finished fighting for the sake of the region?” he asked as he put a couple boxes of pasta in her pantry. “Team Rocket should be gone for good. I don’t know what’s going on in the other regions, but we’re done.”

“Let’s hope so. I don’t want Spencer to have to deal with anything like that. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” She shook her head and shrugged at the same time, which about summed up the emotion she had towards Cerise Island, Sird, and Guile Hideout. “It’ll be fine. As long as we keep our eyes peeled just in case, we’ll prevent anything from happening again.”

“Right.” He nodded once and smiled just a touch. “Thanks again for having me for lunch, do you want help making it?”

She smiled back at him. “I’m good, but thanks for the offer! It’s been a long time, this is a good chance to catch up.” She would never turn down catching up, not unless she was completely exhausted or sick. Not a lot of people knew, but she could be a pretty good conversationalist when she felt like it. “Thanks for helping with the groceries. What should we make?”

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the world of Viridian, in which I rant about my OCs and how they grow up along with Yellow! Chapters will be 1k each (not including these author's notes lol) and hopefully yall enjoy them! I've been sitting on this idea and these OCs for a while, so yeah!
> 
> Oh, yeah, and I know technically canon says there's 10 years between each Viridian kid but I'm chucking that right out the window and saying there's 7
> 
> Please don't hesitate to leave a comment!


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